This is a shocking story.
Trump was trying to strike a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow as he was running for president. He hoped to have Putin’s help.
The story was reported also in the New York Times.
Trump’s base won’t care. They admire Putin. They love Trump. Who cares if Putin chose our president?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It’s not shocking at all. What’s shocking is that our elected officials allow this to happen without consequences….but then again, both sides will remain silent because they are ALL in the act of stealing from taxpayers and taking money from super PAC’s and large corporations in order to line their own pockets.
Not a Trump Trainer, but I couldn’t care less about that particular business deal. And no Putin did not elect the Salmon Swamp Monster. The DNC and Hillary handed the nomination to him on a silver platter with such a lousy elitist and divisive-identity politicking campaign (and I’m being nice with that description).
Duane E Swacker
It is absurd to suggest that the constant drip of negative information release by the Russians and Comey . Almost all of it true, even if few actually read them , did not sway a mere 70,000 votes across 3 key States and probably a few other states .
However you are absolutely correct . This election was handed to them by decades of Democratic policy failure . Which there was no better representative of that failure than the candidate who was married to it in numerous ways. It should have been a blow out.
The Republicans are not superman and Trump did not defeat 17 other Republican candidates to secure the nomination . He won a plurality numerous times in a large field .He was and is the candidate of a large number of “deplorables ,” which even that she pivoted on .
Who would have come out on top had there been run offs ? .
South Carolina
Donald Trump 240,882 32.51%
Marco Rubio 166,565 22.48%
Ted Cruz 165,417 22.33%
Jeb Bush 58,056 7.84%
John Kasich 56,410 7.61%
Ben Carson 53,551 7.23%
I have no idea about your first question, Joel. Can’t begin to answer it. If you find an answer please let me know. At the same time for the question to have meaning it necessarily assumes that the “Russians and Comey” actually did the releasing. And whether that assumption is true is very much open to speculation. Add on top of that the effect it had on individual voters, well let’s just say, get back to me on those and your original statement.
Duane E Swacker
Lets just say if a constant flow of negative information has no effect on anyone’s opinion of a candidate . A lot of Billionaires can stop investing in political advertisement . Opposition research a waste of time and money. And we can stop complaining about Citizen united as that it is all one big waste of money . But additionally the emails, were not information dispensed in a commercial by a political opponent which could be dismissed as partisan BS . This was headlines on every paper and News media releases. So how do voters in a nation where 77% of millennial’s ( I doubt other generations would differ much) can’t name one Senator decide how to vote. They may have gut instincts as to whether the economy is serving their needs They certainly are not policy wonks .
But you are asking me to prove that something had an effect on human behavior . Social sciences are not hard science . I am sure that someone will conduct a poll and a study . How valid that will be.?????
So would you say that no one changed their opinion about voting Hillary because of those emails. How would you prove that . Then what would the number be greater than one. You are not talking to the resident Hill Bot . I agree if she and the Party had not been a disaster for working people (broadly), she should have walked off with it in a landslide.
Again not a science just another opinion.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/wikileaks-hillary-clinton/
I side with Joel on this one, as much as I love you both (not a Trump definition of love). There are enough rubes who can be influenced by Russian propaganda who believe they are patriotic with their choices to vote against their interests.
GregB
Even if as is more likely, voters who were disgusted with the Clintons /Obama just stayed home.
Not really, Joel. Hillary won 3 million votes more than the Liar in Chief
I didn’t stay home and lots of other people didn’t stay home, but we held our noses as we colored in the bubble (or pulled the lever). It was voting for the lesser of 2 evils and it was not pleasant.
dianeravitch
That line is getting worn out . It is the 70,000 in Michigan , Wisconsin, Pennsylvania . And we can throw in Florida . While we are at it she
almost lost Minnesota. I am all with you that the electoral college and the Senate are relics of the founders concerns for preserving slavery. And an extreme mistrust of the central government being dominated by more populous states.. But we are not talking about the cows now .
Pennsyltukey is not the Dakotas or Oklahoma 30 million people live in those 3 Mid West States
Joel,
Why are you still bashing Hillary when we live in a new reality, with a president intent on rolling back the New Deal and returning us to the days of Harding?
The election is over. You change nothing by continuing to complain about Hillary.
dianeravitch
You are right as long as she remains in relative seclusion . Hillary is a figure head symbol of much of the party that has lost its way . Hillary did not lose those states Obama did . But she ran as four more years of Obama, everything is just ducky . . As he ran around the country promising to work with Republicans in the lame duck to ram another trade agreement down the throat of a battered American worker. . Against the wishes of almost the entire “whining ” progressive base .Saving Hillary the embarrassment of having to flip flop if she won.
But here is Robert Reich today .
“By the time Trump was elected, the typical American household had a net worth 14 percent lower than the typical household in 1984. The richest 1 percent owned more than the bottom 90 percent.”
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/robert-reich-no-one-can-say-they-didnt-see-donald-trump-coming
Reich did not delve into that number . How many households were 2 income households in 1984 . How many hours are worked by that family today vs 84 . How does that break down on generational lines. As Millennial’s are the most educated generation is that education improving their standard of living.
The Democrats have become a Wall Street center right party, Republican light thanks to Bill and Barrack \ Hillary .
“If a voter has a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, he’ll vote for the Republican every time.” Harry S Truman
Very seldom does a liberal get 3 or 4 minutes to talk….and Rush Limbaugh either treated me with respect or he was mocking me. Nevertheless….I believe what I told him is true…clue that he might not have been mocking me….when he asked for clarification when I compared Bill Gates and DeVos. This seems more constructive than obsessing over Putin and Hillary:.RUSH: Joe in Festus, Missouri, great to have you here. Glad you called. How you doing, sir?
CALLER: Liberal greetings from a graduate of Mark Scully University of Cape Girardeau, and I’m a Vietnam veteran. I wanted to weigh in on what happened with this so-called victory for the Democrats last night.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: I’m not impressed by it at all. And the reason is I started checking where this money was coming from for him. First thing I noticed was the Caliber charter schools. The biggest mistake made by Democrats, specifically Obama, in the last eight years was when he brought in Bill Gates and Arne Duncan and trashed public education by starting this privatization. Now, DeVos is pretty much a mess, but at least people recognize that. They thought Bill Gates, well, he must know everything. And so that’s my viewpoint as a liberal from Missouri —
RUSH: I need to ask you to clarify something. You think that charter schools are bad and that Obama signing on to them with Bill Gates and Arne Duncan, it angered Democrats like a sellout of public education, the teachers unions? What was bad about it?
CALLER: The nasty secret to the billionaires is that our teachers in the classrooms are very good people that are doing a good job for the most part —
RUSH: In the public schools?
CALLER: — problems — (crosstalk)
RUSH: You mean in the public schools?
CALLER: — a source usually for Democrats, not completely of course, but usually for Democrats, teachers are a source of energy and organization and, you know, getting out the — raising the vote totals. Instead of 62% or 59% turnout, you get a larger turnout, and they stand for things that help families. And so I think that was the biggest mistake, bringing in Arne Duncan and Bill Gates. The charter schools are bad for two reasons. One, the good ones — and there are some good ones — do a lot of cherry-picking and don’t carry their fair share of the more difficult students. A lot of them are just —
RUSH: A-ha.
CALLER: — very bad schools that are dumping grounds that —
RUSH: A-ha.
CALLER: — you know, use Teach for America and very —
RUSH: I hear you.
CALLER: — not experienced teachers that are likely to not cost ’em much and be gone within two or three years —
RUSH: So when they invest in the charter schools, both financially and ideologically they’re selling out the public schools and all the get-out-the-vote efforts that teachers engage in, they’re underselling the teachers and this kind of thing. And you think that had a lasting effect in this election last night?
CALLER: Oh, I think it’s been the most dominant thing, mistake that the Democrats made in the last eight years —
RUSH: Are you a teacher?
CALLER: I thank you and you’re a guy that made the point about how much we’ve lost in legislatures. They don’t just affect national elections. You know, these charter schools are buying people every which way.
RUSH: Wow, that’s just a fascinating theory. I wish I’d a had a chance to get to your call sooner today. ‘Cause you’re the first guy I have ever heard say that the Democrats’ root problem here, or one of them, is the sellout of public education in favor of charter schools by bringing in Bill Gates, who I thought was into mosquito nets, and Arne Duncan. Well, look, I appreciate the call. Joe, think about giving Mr. Snerdley your number and maybe on an Open Line Friday I’ll call you back when I have more time. Because I’m really curious about it. You sound serious, and I’d like to drill down deeper and unpack this a little bit more with you, if you ever have the time and chance. Thanks for the call.
Very cool, Joe!
Joe,
Feel free to contact me and we can arrange to get you a copy of my book. I know you’re somewhere here in Eastern Missouri like I am. Let me know. Email me at duaneswacker@gmail.com.
The two-party system run by lawyers and big money is broken. Our founders are turning in their graves.
Diane
Stop worrying about Trumps base . The last time I checked 35% does not equal 65% .
So the object should be how do we mobilize enough of the 65% . The results in November were predictable yet uncalled for.
Only 46% of young people voted in the last election. What are we as educators doing wrong?
Important question
We keep doing what we’re told.
We ended the draft and somebody elses ass is fighting our endless wars. Or am i projecting too much and are boomers just as pathetic.
LetThemLearn,
A 200 font size YEP!
GAGA Good Germans the vast majority of teachers and adminimals.
What we ended was the VietNam war– the draft was extended just long enough to wrap it up. Maybe our wars today wouldn’t be endless if all young men and women were subject to the draft. Might engender society-wide participation/ voting on war issues.
The last person was drafted in 1971. The Vietnam conflict lasted until May 1975. (Peace treaty signed in 1973). I served on active duty from 1973-1978.
I tend to agree, that if people were subject to military combat service, it would “open their nostrils”, with respect to geopolitics.
Our nation has been in combat in Afghanistan for well over a decade, I would guess that most Americans could not find that country on a map.
We have been at war in Afghanistan for 16 years, the longest war in US history.
No end in sight.
16 years
No end in sight
Trump doubling down on failed policies
Schools used to teach “civics”, and the result was a higher degree of civic literacy. Young people today are more interested in studying and partying, than in getting involved in politics. Civic participation, and voting tend to be very low in this demographic.
Charles, how would you know? Blowing smoke afain.
Q how would you know? END Q
For some years, the participation of millennials in our civic life has been declining. see
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/23/voting-turnout-gap-between-old-and-young-widening-report
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-rival-boomers-as-a-political-force-but-will-they-actually-vote
I am very interested in politics (a junkie). I have worked as an election judge. I live in the nation’s capital (metro). The reality is, that young people continue to voluntarily dis-enfranchise themselves.
You can search for yourself on the ‘net. Many articles claim (correctly) that younger people are staying away from the political process.
Sociologists and political scientists can delve into the causes. I would guess that the youth of our nation have other things on their minds, like careers, family, studying, etc.
see
http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/why-young-people-dont-vote-part-apathy-part-frustration
I remember learning “civics” in high school. We had mock elections, and discussed political parties, and so forth. I would love to see civics and constitution, and political “literacy” brought back into publicly-operated schools.
Why aren’t teachers pushing their school administrators and school boards to bring about a return to civics education?
Charles,
Probably because of the mandates enacted by Congress in 2001 and 2015 to test English and math, and close schools that didn’t raise scores. That’s all that matters. Not civics.
Hillary lost because of the Electoral College. Not to mention insane Hillary/Clinton derangement syndrome, misogyny and more Hillary hatred. She ran a bad campaign? So did Trump unless you were a racist, immigrant hater, xenophobe and science hater. The latter deplorables loved Trump. We have third parties, but they’re polling at single digits and some of those 3rd parties are far right wing toxic filth. Libertarianism and the libertarian party should be flushed down the toilet of history but that’s life. Before 3rd parties could become viable there would have to be some massive changes in this country. A SCOTUS that would have to overturn Citizens United, just for openers. But that won’t happen with Trump or the GOP in power. For all her faults and shortcomings Hillary would have appointed non right wingers to the SCOTUS, no Gorsuch, no Alito but justices in the mode of Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan and Sotomayor. Hillary would not have been giving dog whistles (fog horns) to the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
Agreed with everything except the Hillary derangement syndrome. I was through with the Clinton’s, before the Blue dress brought me back to the fold . Then Barack Clinton came along . But alas,now I would love to be marching on Chappaqua instead of Trump Tower. .
Joel,
Remind me of what Hillary had to do with the blue dress. Was she there? You sound like Candice Jackson.
dianeravitch.
You always miss my sarcasm. At this rate I wont come out of retirement to become a stand up comic.
Hillary had nothing to do with the blue dress . I was fed up with Bill Clinton’s policy early on . Thomas Frank did not have to give me the list . Yet the more the radical right attacked him about a sex fling that was none of my business , the more I had to rally around him (come “BACK TO THE FOLD”) . Hillary comes into the picture because she ran on Bill and Barracks record and was proud of it. As for her record rather unremarkable as a Senator and Benghazi was nothing but Honduras was criminal. .
Barrack Clinton another attempt at humor ,a reference to more neoliberal policy from Obama a continuation of Clinton’s NDC politics.
I do not understand the deflection here as to how & why Hillary lost the election. The point of the posted article is that it shows Trump Corp was busily attempting to seal a commercial deal w/an adversary nation during the campaign, w/Trump Corp rep promoting it as something that would advance Trump’s election prospects. Part of this is fallout from nominating an intl businessman as candidate– the potential conflicts of interest are rife. Yet a candidate w/an ounce of common sense, caution re: campaign law, & concern for welfare of democracywould back off deals w/an adversary nation during campaign (let alone after election).
Bethree,
Changing the subject from the vile behavior of Trump to Hullary hatred is evidence of Trump’s success in branding Hillary as he branded every other opponent. It makes me sick to hear my readers echoing Trump-Bannon lies.
This past Sunday’s NYT book review had some interesting insights on Trump & the Trump-Russia connection buried in the cover article “Spies Like us,” an interview w/John Le Carré (longtime UK spy under the name of David Cornwell, & illustrious author of many spy novels) & Ben MacIntyre, a cold-war scholar & author of a number of non-fiction works on espionage.
RE: Trump: LeCarré was raised by a criminal con-man dad, a working-class guy who created a well-spoken high-class persona to put his kids thro private school & swindle a living out of marks for decades; everything out of his mouth was a lie.
INTERVIEWER: Do you see parallels w/Pres Trump’s view of the truth?
JLC: Exactly that… The parallels are extraordinary. My sister too, we absolutely recognize the same syndrome. There is not a grain of truth there.
RE: Trump-Russia:
INTERVIEWER: Do you think the Russians really have something on Trump?
BM: I can tell you what the veterans of [MI6] think, which is yes. kompromat was done on him. Of course [it] is done on everyone. So they end up… With this compromising bit of material and they begin to release parts of it. They set up an ex-MI6 guy, Chris Steele, who is a patsy… & they feed him some stuff that’s true, & some stuff that isn’t true, & some stuff that is demonstrably wrong. Which means that Trump can then stand up and deny it, while knowing that the essence of it is true. And then he has a stone in his shoe for the rest of his administration… It’s important to remember that… Putin thinks in the trad’l KGB way.
JLC: The mentality that is operating in Russia now is absolutely… no different to the mentality that drove the most exotic conspiracies during the Cold War… As for Trump, I suspect they have it, because they’ve denied it. If they have it & they’ve set Trump up, they’d say, “Oh, no, we haven’t got anything.” But to Trump they’re saying, “Aren’t we being kind to you?”
I think the author may be reading too much into Russia’s capabilities. Perhaps there are no sub plots to the dossier . Perhaps it is all true . Nobody has described Steele as a patsy. If anything he is describes as a very capable ex high level MI6 agent. Who threw out the raw intelligence he had gathered to McCain to deliver to Comey . He did not publish it in a tabloid.
As the bodies that could verify these accounts piled up in Moscow, when the story went public . If Putin’s FSS/KGB was as capable as the author portrays, there would have been mysterious accidents and disappearances long before the release to the media.
I am hoping the underage hookers are still OK. . That Diane was my poor humor . Translation waiting for the sex tapes.
“Don’t think sorry’s easily said
Don’t try turning tables instead
You’ve taken lots of Chances before
But I’m not gonna give anymore
Don’t ask me
That’s how it goes
Cause part of me knows what you’re thinkin’
I am the eye in the sky
Looking at you
I can read your mind
I am the maker of rules
Dealing with fools
I can cheat you blind
And I don’t need to see any more
To know that
I can read your mind, I can read your mind
I can read your mind, I can read your mind…”
Parsons, Woolfson